Pirates Prepare to Host FDU, DePaul

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – After a successful weekend of BIG EAST play, the Seton Hall softball team (15-23, 5-13) will host a midweek doubleheader before hosting their final BIG EAST home series of the season.

The Hall will open the week on Wednesday, April 5, when the FDU Knights come to Mike Sheppard Sr. Field for a doubleheader. First pitch for game one is slated for 2 p.m.

This weekend, the Pirates will host their final BIG EAST home series of the year against the DePaul Blue Demons (14-24, 4-11). First pitch for game one on Friday is set for 2 p.m., while Senior Day will be celebrated ahead of Saturday's game.

Schedule
Wednesday, April 15
2 p.m. – Seton Hall vs FDU – Game One (Live Stats - Stream)
4 p.m. – Seton Hall vs FDU – Game Two (Live Stats - Stream)
Friday, April 17
2 p.m. – Seton Hall vs DePaul (Live Stats - Stream)
Saturday, April 18 (Senior Day)
12 p.m. – Seton Hall vs DePaul (Live Stats - Stream)
Sunday, April 19
12 p.m. – Seton Hall vs DePaul (Live Stats - Stream)

PREVIEWING FDU KNIGHTS

So far this season, FDU is 11-28 with wins over George Mason, Manhattan and New Haven.
Offensively, the Knights boast a pair of standout bats atop their order. Sophomore outfielder Madison Rishel leads across three categories: batting average (.348), runs scored (20) and stolen bases (10). Meanwhile, senior first baseman Ayden Stone is the big bat in the lineup, leading the team in home runs (4) and RBI (26).
In the circle, sophomore hurler Jamie Sencion stands out as the clear lead pitcher for the Knights. Sencion leads the team in every major category, boasting aa 3.83 ERA, six complete games and 62 strikeouts in 76.2 innings pitched.

PREVIEWING DEPAUL

With mere weeks left in the season, DePaul is 14-24 overall, 4-11 in BIG EAST play, with wins over Yale, Detroit Mercy, St. John's and a series win over Georgetown.
The Blue Demons' lineup boasts five hitters with .300 batting averages or better this season, but none stand out more than Jolie Adams. Adams is a consistent force at the plate, boasting a .433 batting average, which ranks second in the conference and top 70 nationally. Right behind her is sophomore Chelsea Parker, whose nine home runs and 34 RBI rank top ten in the conference.
Despite the offense, the Blue Demons have struggled in the circle all year. Despite Hannah Messer posting a 4.85 ERA in 101 innings pitched so far this season, the team holds a 5.90 ERA overall and 9.31 ERA in conference play. Through 15 BIGE AST games, they have allowed the second-most home runs in conference play (18) and boast the highest batting average allowed with a mark of .383 this season.

NEWS AND NOTES

The Pirates entered the season on the precipice of 1000 wins in program history. As of now, Seton Hall has 998 all-time wins, dating back to the 1976 season.
For the first time since 2013, the Pirates claimed a series win over the UConn Huskies earlier this season.
Off the back of a week where she hit .765 with three home runs and six RBI, Katey Brennan was named BIG EAST Player of the Week. She is the second player to receive that honor, joining Angelina Benitez who received the honor in March.
Stepping into the leadoff spot this season, Angelina Benitez has been a key cog to the Pirates' offensive game plan. The sophomore is hitting a team-leading .409 with 56 hits at the plate, ranking fifth and second in the conference, respectively. Additionally, Benitez leads the team with 29 runs scored and sits tied for third in RBI with a tally of 19 through 38 games.
At first base, Sophia DeMarco has filled in perfectly since taking over the position from single-season RBI record holder Olivia Gilbert this season. So far this season, DeMarco is hitting .314 with both a team-leading six home runs and 30 RBI.
After recording two hits in her first 16 at-bats this season, Andrea Perez has been on fire at the plate. The senior shortstop has hit .364 with 19 RBI since that point. In BIG EAST play, she holds the second-best batting average on the team with a mark of .353 through 18 games.
After struggling to start the season, junior Karissa Dupuis has been the Pirates' best pitcher on the team this season. Despite posting a 5.16 ERA, Dupuis ranks top ten in the conference in innings pitched (8^th, 80.0 IP), starts (6^th, 15), complete games (5^th, 5), and batting average allowed (4^th, .247).